Tuesday, July 23, 2013

I made this card for my father a couple years ago. My family is from Michigan so I made sure the word "Michigan" in the "Where to Go" newspaper was showing (just above the deer's antlers). You may have to click on the image to see it. Both the newspaper and the map (background behind branches) are from a Tim Holtz paper stash.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

This is a Father's Day card I made for my father-in-law a couple years ago. He studies mites as a serious hobby, many of which are found on moths and butterflies (I wasn't about to put disgusting mites on my card!). I used some Tim Holtz products to make the card, including Distress Ink, Film Strip Ribbon, Tiny Attacher, and paper (I cut the small moth/butterfly images from one of his paper stashes). For the large butterfly, I stamped it with StazOn Jet Black ink onto a piece of recycled packaging then colored it from the back with Adirondack Alcohol Inks.

The background paper I made myself with my printer (OK, my card was a little late, thus the "belated"). I added the colors (Distress Ink applied with a Blending Tool) then distressed the paper by crumpling, ripping the edges, and adding some Distress Ink in Walnut Stain. I also used the blending tool to distress the envelope to match. Below is a different view showing more of the layers.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Our 23rd anniversary was this past weekend. This is the card for my sweetie. I couldn't resist the Penny Black hedgehogs image from the Stuck on You set. I colored it with my Copic Markers. I used Spellbinders Dies to cut it out, along with the scalloped mat behind it. I used some old Sizzix dies to cut out the hearts and the manila folder. My original Sizzix Primitive Hearts die with 2 hearts is no longer available but it looks like they made a replacement die with 4 hearts. I cut the hearts from chipboard then painted them with Viva Decor Inka Gold in Lava Red and Rose. I LOVE the stuff. You can use it as a water color paint or straight out of the container. For these I just used my finger to color them, straight from the container. I let them dry then used a paper towel to polish them to a full shine.

The folder is also no longer available, and I didn't see a replacement, but you can find it on eBay. Look for product number 38-1105 File Folder - be sure it is the one that is opened with two sides; there is another file folder die with just an image of a closed folder. I decorated the file folder with: some Washi tape (it also keeps it from opening up since it's wrapped around the back); words that I printed on my laser printer (from a whole page of words), ran through my Xyron, cut out with scissors, then distress inked the edges (ditto for the file folder edges) with Walnut Stain; and finally a little "LU!" from my old manual label maker.

The flowers are all from Petaloo. I usually get the Color Me Crazy flowers from the Mulberry collection but sometimes I get flowers from their other lines (e.g. Darjeeling Tea Stained paper flowers). I always add my own colors/sprays/paints to them. This time I also added Snow Cap Adirondack acrylic paint to the tips of the flowers, as well as to the edges of the hearts. Below is a close up of some the flowers.

Monday, July 8, 2013

I love Penny Black stamps! They are so adorable. I ordered a bunch on sale from Joann.com. The cat is from the Stuck on You set. I colored the image with Copic markers; ditto for the little heart stamped on the tiny envelope - I wanted it to match the one the cat is holding. To cut the envelope, I used an old Sizzix Original die: Cards & Envelopes, Tiny. It has been retired so it may be hard to find, although I saw some on eBay - look for Sizzix product number 38-1143.

I made the daisy using the new Mini Daisy Sizzix Thinlits dies by Susan Tierney Cockney. For the center, I used a generous amount of Liquid Pearls in Buttercup then, while still wet, coated it with some bright yellow flocking powder. The rest of the flowers are from the Petaloo Color Me Crazy collection, (I like to layer the mulberry paper ones) colored with the same paints I used for the background paper, in differing amounts. Be sure to first mist them with some water. I also crinkle them while wet and use a heat tool to dry them, then carefully un-crinkle them a bit before gluing the layers together.

Below is a closeup of the message inside the envelope. I inked the edges to make them stand out a little from the envelope so when it was opened you would see the little card inside.

Here is a close up of the flowers. The daisy leaves came with the daisy die already mentioned. I added a few more leaves using the Flowering Quince set and green card stock. I colored them with a couple of green Twinkling H2Os to give them some shading and sparkle. Unfortunately the shimmer and sparkle did not show up well in the photographs.

Hint: As an alternative to stamping words/phrases, I like to make up pages of words and sayings in differing fonts, print them on card stock, run them through my Xyron (permanent adhesive), and cut them into banners, or die cut them, for use. You can use Word, Photoshop, or any other program you have that will accept text in different fonts.

I am Certified Copic Instructor and formerly a Class Instructor for Michaels (PaperEd: scrapbooking, card making, Copic coloring). My first design team was for Elizabeth Craft Designs 2014, followed by ECD's Susan Tierney-Cockburn's DT, 2015 - part of 2016, then finally back to the ECD team for the rest of 2016. I was also part of the Oak Tree Stamps DT 2015, Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko Artist in Residence Program 2016, Frantic Stamper DT Jan/Feb 2017 and Rubbernecker Stamps DT, Sep 2017-Jan 2018. I was a guest designer for Paper Smooches (October 2016) and Your Next Stamp (May 2017). I am currently on the Dreamerland Crafts and Xyron Design Teams.

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